Apart from jumping , and house breaking the bossy dominant dog is the most common behavior problem that I run into in my business. The bossy dog wants to take you for a walk, wants what you are eating, wants what is on the counter, in the clothes hamper and anything else that you don’t want it to have. If you have an unruly dog, the following quidelines will help you to establish  the proper pecking order between you and your dog. Any dog owner that has an aggressive behavior problem should not rely on these guidelines alone. Consulting with an experienced and qualified trainer and behaviorist is highly recommended.

The Ten Commandments for the Boss Dog

1.        Thou shall not let thy dog on the bed or the furniture. Do not even let the dog sleep in the same room with you. Your dog should be confined to a crate at night.

2.        Thou shall not feed your dog before you have eaten yourself. In a pack of dogs, the top dog and dominant dog eat first. By feeding your dog first, you are communicating to your dog that he is the boss. If the food is not eaten after 10 minutes, pick it up and take it away. A dominant dog knows that no one will eat the leaders food so he will come back to it later, so pick it up and feed him at the next scheduled feeding. He will learn to eat when the food is put down.

3.        Thou shall not let thy dog control thy territory. You go through doorways first. If your dog tries to go through the doorway first, close the door on him sharply letting him know that he has to wait for you. Make the dog move if it is blocking your way. Do not move around the dog to get by.

4.        Thou shall not be inconsistent. Keep the rules for your dog constant. Either the dog is permitted a privilege or it is not and all the family members should enforce the same rules.

5.        Thou shall not give a command that you can’t enforce and always reward or praise the dog for obedient responses.

6.        Thou shall not play tug-of-war with your dog. Play fetch types games where you start and finish with possession of the toy. You must always win the game and never leave the toys lying around. Leaving toys around is a signal that your dog owns the territory.

7.        Thou shall not reward the dog for bothering you. If the dog begins to nudge you, whines or brings you a toy that you should have put away, make your dog comply to some kind of obedience command like sit or down before giving him attention.

8.        Thou shall not let your dog decide what handling is appropriate. You should be able to handle your dog’s feet, ears, tail, etc. and groom your dog as long as you choose.

9.        Thou shall not neglect obedience training. Work with your dog numerous short downs and at least one long 30 minute down per day. Include your obedience training along with your daily routine. Make the dog sit at feeding and stand for grooming and so on.

10.     Thou shall not let your dog control the direction and the pace of your walks. Train your dog to walk on a loose leash while you choose the direction of the walk. If your dog is off leash and not paying attention, go in the opposite direction or hide and make him find you. Never chase after your dog if he doesn’t come when called.

These are the guidelines that should be used for the bossy dog that is trying to run your life. They may seem excessive in some cases however, if you don’t lead your pushy dog, he will lead you. How are you doing? If you have a soft, submissive well-behaved dog these guideline are not as critical to your relationship with your dog. One of the most obvious signs that you have a dominant dog is when you go for a walk on a leash, whom is walking who? If your dog is pulling you down the street you ought to consider these 10 commandments. They are not suggestions.

Contact Information

Tom Beitz is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and is an authorized dealer for Pet STOP Hidden Dog Fences. Tom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 to answer your questions or he can be found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com . E-Mail: Tom@Smartdogtrainer.com

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